10 Feng Shui Tips To Improve The Energy In Your Home

While the new year, new me mantras and the dedication to more self-care and health practices is a beautiful way to press reset in the new year, a lot of us forget how important it is to nurture our most my sacred space.

And by that I mean, our homes.

While the outside world comes with stresses and responsibilities and chaos, your home very much embodies the eye of the storm. There you find peace, tranquility, and solace. And because it does, you shouldn't be afraid to elevate the way you think about it and how you make it work for you. Dare to do something different as you set your intentions for the new year ahead. Turn your home into a place that takes care of you.

Give these ten feng shui tidbits a try and ignite a positive and nourishing energy shift in your life for 2018.

Everyone who enters your home will take on the attitude and energy that greets them when the front door opens. Your entryway should inspire guests to bring only the happiest, healthiest parts of themselves into your home. We all have baggage, but bright paint and a fragrant scent will encourage your grumpiest neighbor to leave their negativity at the curb. Clutter-free means no trash, no stacks of mail, no piles of shoes, no shovels, and no raggedy coat racks in the doorway.

Make sure your home's entrance is saying, "Girl! Come on in here, so we can relax and have fun" as opposed to, "Ugh! What took you so long? I'm drowning in here!"

2. Designate a place for guest to leave their shoes.

For centuries, ancient Chinese feng shui pioneers have followed this rule: do not wear shoes in the house. Shoes carry gum, mucus, feces and much more from the street into your home. Allowing people to walk around your home in their shoes is the equivalent of walking through Times Square barefoot. Secondly, letting shoes be worn in your home energetically represents people carrying their problems into your residence. As you can imagine, other people's issues to settle into your space can seriously interfere with your home's peace and positivity.

Do yourself a favor and always have the guests leave their shoes and their troubles at the door.

Tip: Keep a small basket of ankle socks on hand to offer those girlfriends whose toes haven't seen a pedicure in a while.

3. Protect your kitchen.

The kitchen nourishes the family both literally and energetically. Anything that sustains you is worth protecting. It is best if you cannot see into the kitchen from the front door. Do something to cover your kitchen doorway. Energetically, visible access to the kitchen from the front door gives way to problems with weight, eating disorders, and other nourishment-related health problems.

Tip: Use all four fires on your stovetop when cooking. Most people (especially singles) tend to use the same jet repeatedly. In feng shui, putting all stovetop jets into action energetically balances your body's health.

4. Shut the bathroom door (and put the toilet seat down).

Bathrooms are physically and energetically set up to "get rid of" what we no longer need or want. We all use the bathroom to wash away dirt and release other bodily things we are too lady-like to mention here. But did you know that bathrooms will energetically wash away your finances as well? Keeping your toilet seat up and bathroom door open is the energetic equivalent of saying, "Here, take my money, I don't need it."

So next time bae heads to the bathroom, tell him to put the lid down because your bank account depends on it.

5. Be sure the living room doesn’t feel like a museum.

Living rooms should be set up for conversation. It is the room where "living" (being with loved ones, communicating, enjoying good company) is supposed to take place. Seating should be set up fairly close together, clutter-free, cozy and inviting. Furniture set far apart or lined up along the walls does not encourage "living" or togetherness. It's okay for the living room to look like the cover of ArchitecturalDigest, as long as it doesn't feel like the Smithsonian.

There are lots of fun, feng shui facts about the bedroom, so take note.

Bedrooms are the lungs of the home where deep breathing (relaxation) should take place.

Bedrooms are best when placed at the back of the home, where the energy is more Yin.

Every bed should have a headboard because when we rest at night, energy from the universe enters our bodies through the tops of our heads. Too much cosmic intake can be over-stimulating and disrupt your sleep.

Do not store items underneath the bed. Doing so symbolizes underhanded, sneaky, or backstabbing behavior from others.

7. It’s Electric! (and unhealthy).

Electrical currents are harmful to our human bodies. In modern times, it is hard to avoid. Nevertheless, there are things we can do to decrease our electrical exposure. What your grandmama said about not sitting so close to the TV is correct but the most vital place to reduce your contact with electrical currents is in your bedrooms. Free your bedroom of all electrical items like TVs, radios, and electrical alarm clocks.

If full-on monastery-mode is not your cup of tea, then at least unplug the electronics before you sleep. Just plug everything into a power strip and turn the strip off at night. For those who sleep with their cellphones, try and break that habit by sleeping with all electronics a minimum of four feet away from the foot of the bed. And, yes…that includes your cellphone as it charges overnight.

8. Table Talk

When shopping for a table, keep this in mind. The most uncomfortable tables are those with a glass tabletop. Fear of breaking or cracking the table is a visitor's worst nightmare. People can't help but feel tension when they have to place something on a glass table. The stress is distracting and takes away from a good conversation and fun activities. So, when you're redecorating, swap the glass out for wood, leather, or some other less fragile tabletop.

9. Big Windows and High Ceilings

When choosing a new home or apartment, be sure the top of the window frame is higher than the tallest resident or frequent overnight guest. Short window frames give college-baller bae that uneasy, trapped feeling. We don't want that energy creeping into our relationship.

10. Place A Protector Near The Entryway

Every queen needs protection. Feng shui suggests using a talisman at or near your home's entrance as a tool of security and an attractor of good vibes. Different cultures have different talisman items. The Chinese culture like the bagua, while a home of African descent may choose an ankh or the eye of Ra. Japanese cultures fancy fu-dogs, while Tibetan cultures favor porcelain scrolls. The choice is yours.

Featured image by Getty Images.

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